Soluble IL-7 receptor (sCD127) in pediatric HIV infection (57.9)

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 186; no. 1_Supplement; pp. 57 - 57.9
• Main Authors: Faucher, Sylvie, Decker, Wendy, Sherring, Alice, Bogdanovic, Dragica, Bergeron, Michele, Mandy, Francis, Lapointe, Normand, Soudeyns, Hugo, Sandstrom, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.04.2011
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.186.Supp.57.9

Abstract IL-7 is an essential cytokine in T-cell development and homeostasis. It binds to the IL-7R receptor, a complex of the IL-7Rα (CD127) and common γ (CD132) chains. There is significant interest in evaluating the expression of CD127 on human T-cells as it often decreased in medical conditions leading to lymphopenia. A soluble CD127 (sCD127) is released in plasma and may contribute to disease pathogenesis through its control on IL-7 activities. We determined the concentrations of soluble CD127 in plasma of children infected with HIV using a quantitative bead-based sCD127 immunoassay. Eleven children were followed over a period of up to two years. The sIL-7R detected in HIV infected children ranged from 66 to 1004 ng/mL. Individual sCD127 concentrations remained stable when measured serially during a period of up to two years in five children with low viral load (HIV RNA 50-500 copies/mL). In children with uncontrolled viral load (n=6) (HIV RNA 50-137 000 copies/mL), the concentrations of sCD127 varied by up to 4 fold.This is the first report on the quantification of plasma sCD127 in pediatric HIV infection. The concentrations of sCD127 in children varied by up to one log. We previously reported a similar variation among adult sCD127 concentrations. The stability of the sCD127 concentrations in children with low viral load and the variations observed in children with uncontrolled viral load warrant further studies on the sCD127 as a potential marker of T cell homeostasis.